Posted on 11/20/2006 4:05:45 PM PST by Dark Skies
Former Seinfeld star Michael Richards stunned a comedy club audience, shouting racial insults at people who made fun of him during his performance, it was reported.
The 57-year-old actor-comedian, best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's eccentric neighbour Kramer on the hit TV show, was performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on Friday night when he started the insults, according to video posted on entertainment website TMZ.com.
The tirade apparently began after two black audience members started shouting at him that he wasn't funny.
Richards answered: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f--king fork up your arse."
He paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show.
"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now mother-f--ker. Throw his arse out. He's a nigger!" Richards shouted before repeating the racial insult over and over again.
An audience member heckled back: "That was uncalled for, you f--king cracker-ass motherf--ker."
Richards retorted: "Cracker-ass? You calling me cracker-ass, nigger?"
While there was some audible chuckling in the audience, someone could be heard gasping, "Oh my God."
Another audience member is heard to call out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. 'Seinfeld,' that's it."
Richards performed the next night at the Laugh Factory without incident.
Calls to Richards' representatives were not immediately returned early today.
He refused to comment on-camera when reached by CNN, but the news network reported that he said off-camera he felt sorry for what had happened and had made amends.
Former co-star Jerry Seinfeld issued a statement saying he was "sick over this".
"I'm sure Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake. It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt," Seinfeld said.
Comic Paul Rodriguez, who was at the club, said he thought Richards' remarks crossed the line.
"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining," he said.
"Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."
Comedian George Lopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards' lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.
"The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn't know what to do when an audience is disruptive," Lopez said.
"He's an actor whose show has been off the air, he shouldn't ever be on a stand-up gig."
Did he address behavior versus race?
BTW, what has Julia-Louise Dreyfus done? Since the Love Boat went off, I can't think of anything any of them could do.
If there is one actor who is feeling much better now, it's Mel Gibson.
You're a theenwurd!...You're a theenwurd!...You're a theenwurd! Fifty years ago you would have been upside down with a bullwhip in your arse, paid for by the National Endowment For The Arts...Ha!
Yes, he did. He didn't use the word as a slur and that was clear. Still, I considered it remarkable that he could "get away" with saying that word over and over as he did.
Kramer is a 33rd Degree MASON????? I thought he was Jewish!
I don't understand what all the fuss is about. When you're in a comedy club you can say whatever you want. There's no indication the black guys couldn't take it; in fact they did a good job of dishing it out. Tied game.
I have to give him a "well done" on that
He also was in the show "Fridays"in the early 80's.Had a run in with Andy Kaufman on it.Don't know if it was a put on or not.
How did Jim Webb and Robert Byrd get in that club?
I think he only plays one on TV.
Now, you're black, and were prepared to support Richards if he goes after a guy who's interrupting the show you came to see. But instead of going after the heckler, he has now attacked YOU, and made you someone worthy of the disgust and hatred in his voice, because to him, you are just an N, too.
Someone throws him a lifeline--"that's uncalled for". They seem surprised at the line Kramer crossed, and think he will catch himself. But he doesn't, he keeps going, and gets worse, and now, it's time to go, no matter what race you are.
It is just plain wrong to do this in this day and age. We've been through a lot as a country, and he's in an urban setting, in a mixed crowd, a sophisticated clientele. Why would you reduce interactions only to race? Why would you demean another person, and lots of the rest of your audience, this way? It's just no CIVIL. He stood up in front of one of the people who paid to see him perform, and instead of going after a guy for heckling, called the man a name he knew the man and all members of that race, including members of the audience, would consider vile. And then he repeated it.
It's not an edgy bit that went awry, it's a demonstration of hatred directed at another person that sprang from somewhere deep within. I can't believe a guy that long in the industry couldn't control himself better than that.
It won't, they're already making excuses "it's the fault of the comedy club atmosphere that made him do it." No one in the media or Hollywood jumped to Mel's defence or were so quick to forgive. Let's see if Kramer offers to meet with black leaders and talk about deep rooted feelings and such.
With that said, I'm not in favor of what the guy said but there are worse things that could happen in one's life than being called names.
Sorry, while liberals have many things wrong with them, racism comes from all parts of the political spectrum. It is not only the exclusive property of the Left.
Masons seem confusing (coming from a nonMason standpoint). Even Hindus can be Masons.
The thing is, how exactly is cracker offensive? What is the historical baggage behind it (an actual question if you know the answer)? The n word was used toward slaves by slave owners or very racist (as in to the point of violence) people. Crackers are simply crispy snacks to eat on their own or with something on top (unless you know otherwise).
Good post. My best guess is that Richards wanted to hurt those guys physically for stepping on his performance like that. But he knew he couldn't do that, so he settled for clobbering them with an epithet that today has more shock value than it did back before the era of PC. At that moment, I don't think he cared what effect this might have on his career. After 9 seasons as a major fixture on Seinfeld, he's wealthy and the residuals, etc. will keep pouring in for him. He doesn't have to work another day in his life. I think he just took the disrespect personally enough to not care about repercussions.
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